Trump aide ridiculed after appearing to suggest that a family could survive for ten weeks on just $1,2000

Donald Trump's treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin has received criticism for suggesting on live television that US families could survive on just $1,200 for 10 weeks.

The US treasury is in the process of sending out millions of cheques to households across the United States where the stimulus payments are equating to just $1,200, which would fail to cover the rent on a one-bedroom apartment in New York City or cover the bills for two people's Wi-fi bills for three months, among other things.

However, Mnuchin thinks it would be perfectly fine for a family in the US to get by on this for 10 weeks. In an appearance on CBS's Face the Nation, he said:

I think the entire package provides economic relief overall for about 10 weeks. Hopefully, we will kill this virus quicker and we won't need it, but we have liquidity to put into the American economy to support American workers and American business.

Mnuchin, who is a former investment banker and Goldman Sachs executive, soon found himself on the end of the ire of the likes of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for his comment, which if true would result in a family having to survive on $17 per day.

In fairness, this clip might have taken Mnuchin's comments out of context as he wasn't referring to just the stimulus checks but also the additional $600-a-week unemployment cheque that some workers, who are unable to do their jobs, will receive for the next four months.

However, due to the system being overwhelmed by a high rate of demands many will not be able to access these cheques, whereas some cannot claim the unemployment cheques if they have had to leave their jobs to protect their health or the health of a family member.

This comes on top of the delay caused by Donald Trump, who is insisting on having his name printed on the letter sent out with the stimulus cheques.